Feather-fabric machine.



J. A. COLBY.

FEATHER FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.26, 1912. RENEWED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,104,628, Patented July 21, 1914 4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WIT/V5885? Ill/VENTOI? John A.Coley,

ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS CON PHOTO-LITHOn WASHINGIUN, D. C.

J. A. COLBY.

WITNESSES JUNE1G,1914.

Patented July 21, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR John Av Coley,

ATTORNEYS J. A. COLBY.

FEATHER FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.26, 1912. RENEWED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,104,628, Patented July 21, 1914 g 4 SHEBTSSHEET 3. p; l

E B l a 3 & o if g 1 N w w co INVENTOF? Q W7: E John Acoley \U .Q ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHUTOYLITHOU WASHINGTON. D. C.

J. A. COLBY.

FEATHER FABRIC MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 26, 1912. RENEWED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,104,628, m Patented July 21, 1914.

4 $HEETSSHEBT 4.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Joh n A. Coley ln'r. AORRIS PETERS C01. FHOrOLITHU WASHING TON. D c

JOHN AUGUSTINE COL'EY, OF SOMERVILL E, NET/V JERSEY, ASSIG-NOB TO MABEL E.

COLEY, 0F SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

FEATHER-FABRIC MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Application filed. December 26, 1912, Serial No. 738,601. Renewed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. CoLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Somerset and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Feather-Fabric Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machines for manufacturing feather goods and has particular reference to a machine for assembling suitable feathers in the form of boas or for general purposes such as for collars or trimmings.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a means whereby fabrics of the character indicated maybe made expediently and cheaply and of a uniformly superior character and quality.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suitable embodiment of the invention, the view being understood as though the operators were facing the observer; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the assembling mechanism on the line 4ll of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the relation between the stitching device and the carriers; Fig. 6 is a corresponding detail of a guide; and Fig. 7 is a diagram indicating the relation of the individual feathers.

The several'parts of the invention may be made of any suitable materials and the general design and relative sizes and proportions of the parts may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I show at 10 any suitable form or size of frame which supports a sewing machine 11 which is adapted to make a preferably zigzag stitch. The sewing machine is illustrated as which are connected tight and loose pulleys 13 in any usual manner. Power is transmitted from the power shaft to the sewing machine shaft 14: by means of a belt 15.

Associated with the machine table .16 and leading toward the machine 11 is a feed table 17 along one side of which a row of operators are adapted to stand and feed feathers to the assembling mechanism, whereby the work is prepared for and paid to the sewing machine. The stations for the several operators are indicated at A to E inclusive.

More particularly stated, the assembling mechanism above referred to comprises one or a pair of endless master belts 18 which operate over a driving roller 19, a pair of guide rollers 20 and 21, and a series of gripping rollers 22, the gripping rollers being located at the several stations and beyond the sewing machine. Said pair of master belts operate, therefore, parallel to each other and preferably on opposite sides of the vertical plane of the work or materials operated upon.

At 23 are shown a series of auxiliary belts, of which the belts a cooperate with the master belts at the station A, being guided over or around the driving roller 24, idle rollers 25 and gripping rollers 26, the gripping rollers being arranged adjacent and cooperating each to each with the aforesaid rollers 22. The several auxiliary bands or belts 23 are distinguished in the drawings by the letters a to c inclusive corresponding to the several operators stations. The second pair of belts b are driven from a driving roller 27, and traverses thence over idle rollers 28 and under certain of the gripping rollers 26. These belts I), therefore, cooperate with both of the previously mentioned sets of belts a 1:

and 18; that is to say, the layer or line of feathers applied by the operator at the station B will be gripped between the belts b on the one side and the belts a and 18 on the other side, it being understood, therefore, i

that the operator at the station A applies a line of feathers at such station which are grasped directly between the belts a and 18. The master belts 18 serve as the main supbeing operated from a power shaft 12 to ports for all of the auxiliary belts. In other words, each auxiliary belt grips a line of feathers in cooperation with the master belts eitherdirectly therewith or through one or more of the other auxiliary belts. In all instances, however, the principal load is carried by the master belts. The belts 0 are driven by a roller 29 and traverse thence over guide pulleys 30 and codperate with all of the previously mentioned belts carrying between the belts c and all of the other belts a new line introduced at the station C. Likewise the remaining belts (Z and e cooperate each in turn with the previous as semblage of belts and all of the belts operating simultaneously and in the same direction carry the assembled mass of feathers 31 into coiiperation and engagement with the presser foot 32 and feeding mechanism 33 of the sewing machine.

h At any suitable place on the machine 1s located a rack '33 arrying a plurality of spools of thread 34, the individual threads from which are guided downwardly through an eye 35 and thence they are led through atube 36 which forms them into a substant'i'al cord or flexible reinforcement for the fabric. As suggested in Figs. 5 and 7, the shafts of the feathers are assembled in juxtaposition or parallelism forming a rib to which the aforesaid thread 34 is secured by means of the stitch 33. It will be understood, therefore, that the barbs of the feathers will project laterally from said riband the aforesaid bands will cooperate therewith, allowing consequently sufiicient flexibility between the rib and the bands to allow proper operation of the feeding mechanism of the sewing machine, the same having a slightly different motion from that of the bands or belts.

, Any suitable means such as set screws 37 may be employed to adjust the tension of the several pairs of gripping rollers 22 and 26. The tension of the several auxiliary belts '23 also may be maintained as requiredv by suitable tension devices herein illustrated w a'scomprising a yoke 38 pivoted at 39 on the axis of the gripping roller 22. Said yoke 38 at one'end is provided with a tension spring 39 and at the other end with a shaft 40 which carries the idle roller 28.

It will be understood that I employ the same type of tension device preferably throughout the'machine. It will be noted also that certain of the gripping rollers are flanged as shown at 26, whereby a better alinement of the gripping rollers is maintained, said flanges being adapted to extend machine table, I provide a guard 41 which insures a proper delivery of thework from the feeding table and alinement therewith of the thread 34 as the sewing machine is reached by the work, said guard comprising a substantially flat plate over which the belts pass and having upturned lateraledges cotiperating with the outer edges of all of the belts maintaining them-at a-proper disv tance apart.

The assembling mechanism including the belts .23 is; operated from the main power shaft 12 by means of a belt 42 coperating with a pulley 43 geared to the last gripping roller 22. To the shaft of the pulley 43 is connected a belt or chain 44'whi'ch is adap't- 3 .claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent J 1. In a machine of the class specified, the combination of assembling mechanism com prising a master belt, a series of auxiliary belts, guiding means for the auxiliary belts whereby the first of them cotiperates directly with the master auxiliary belt cooperates with all beltsleading thereto, andnieans-to drive 'saidbel-ts, and stitching mechanism for thework assembled by the foregoing mechanism.

2. In a machine of the "class'specified, the combination of a pair of spaced parallel master belts, pairs of auxiliary belts oobelt and each succeeding operating withsaid master belts at spaced,

stations, theauxiliary belts at thefirst station cotiperating directlywith the master belts and at each succeeding station with the master belts through the preceding auxiliary, belts, stitching mechanism for the work assembled and conveyed to'the stitch- 1 ing mechanism by the assembling mechanism, and means to operate the stitching mechanism and assembling mechanism "simultaneously.

3. In a feather fabricmachine, the combination of stitching mechanism, a plurality of sets ofendless belts, each set comprising a master belt anda series of auxiliary belts successively cooperating therewith, said sets being spaced on opposite sides of the stitching mechanism, and a guard comprising a substantially flat plate having upturned lateral edges cotiperatingwith the outer edges of both of said sets of belts maintainingthem at a proper distance apart.

4; In a feather fabric machine, the combination of aplurality of spaced series of I endless belts, each series comprising a'master belt'and a plurality of auxiliary belts coijperating therewith, stitching mechanism, a guard" to maintain thebelts in proper spaced relation as they approach the stitching mechanism, means for guiding a reinforcing device between the series of belts and between said guard and the stitching 5 mechanism, and means to operate all of said devices simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed my WVitnesses Copies of this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressing th Washington, D. G."

JOHN AUGUSTINE ooLEY.

E. B. HoAeLAm), TAYLOR J. BRoKAW.

e Commissioner of Patents, 

